DATE: Thursday, June 19, 1997               TAG: 9706180736

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B3   EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: Military 

                                            LENGTH:   67 lines

WEEKLY BREIFING

BLUE ANGELS: The Blue Angels will perform at the Oceana Naval Air Station air show on Sept. 20 and 21. The jet demonstration teams will perform at 24 locations in 1997.

GED SCREENING: High school dropouts wanting to complete their degree through the military-style Commonwealth ChalleNGe program may attend pre-screening sessions throughout the state. Drug-free men and women between the ages of 16 and 18 who are dropouts or have been expelled from school may apply for the free program. Cadets will live on base at the State Military Reservation in Virginia Beach while they take classes and study for their GED. There is no obligation to join the armed services after completion. For more information and an application packet, call 1-800-796-6472.

HOMEPORT STARS: Six sailors on the amphibious command ship Mount Whitney were named 1997 Homeport City Stars during an awards presentation in May. Honored were Lt. Victoria Gnibus, intelligence; Chief James Polk, operations; Senior Chief David Quinn, communications; Petty Officer 3rd Class Michael Kearney, executive department; seaman recruit Michael Albert, deck; and Petty Officer 3rd Class Earnest Smith, deck. The awards are provided to seagoing commands by the Norfolk Naval Base and the city of Norfolk Recreation and Welfare Perpetual Fund Inc. Winners received a $300 gift package from more than 60 Norfolk vendors.

PROPERTY MANAGEMENT: The Navy Housing Welcome Center at the Norfolk Personnel Support Mall will hold a property management workshop from 6 to 8:30 p.m. on June 25 for military, Department of Defense personnel and their families. A free, supervised child play area is available. To register, call 445-2832 or (800) 628-7510.

DESIGN WINNERS: The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Atlantic Division, won the Commander's Award for Design Excellence.

Its conceptual design of the Sarajevo-Gorazde Corridor Road in Bosnia and Herzegovina used global positioning photogrammetry amid physical obstacles and security constraints. Twenty-two winners were selected from among 79 entries.

The Norfolk facility tied for the top award given by the Naval Facilities Engineering Command. It was cited for unusual creativity and innovation in the solution of complex design-oriented problems.

VA FAIR: More than 49 area veterans, civic and fraternal organizations are hosting a country fair today for patients at the Hampton Veterans Affairs Medical Center. More than 200 active-duty members will escort patients to games, concessions and musical entertainment.

Comings and Goings

Lt. Col. Fred C. Barrell III will relinquish command of Fort Story in Virginia Beach to Lt. Col. Ronald A. Newton during a ceremony at 10 a.m. Monday at the Post Parade Field. In case of rain, the event will be held in the 309th Transportation Co. Maintenance Facility, Building 1103.

Barrell has been commander since May 1995. He will go to the Army Cadet Command at Fort Monroe. Newton comes from Special Operations Command Europe in Stuttgart, Germany.

Cmdr. Kenneth J. Burker has taken command of Helicopter Support Squadron Six, relieving Cmdr. David J. Jerabek. Burker has been the squadron's executive officer. Jerabek will report to the amphibious ship Guam as operations officer.

Capt. Deborah S. Little and Sgt. 1st Class Adam W. Frye have joined the Army recruiting center at JANAF Shopping Center.

The Coast Guard cutter Harriet Lane returned to Portsmouth after a 52-day counter-narcotics patrol in the Caribbean. The crew patrolled more than 11,000 miles and conducted boardings at sea. Crew members also delivered several tons of medical supplies to hospitals in Haiti, and refurbished an orphanage in Port-au-Prince.

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